The cure for Alcoholism?

3/12/2013

The cure for Alcoholism? A French cardiologist by the name of Olivier Ameisen is claimed to have discovered the cure for alcoholism. While running his successful practice he was severely stricken by an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy. He felt like imposter waiting to be unmasked and found relief in large quantities of whisky and gin.

Having spent years in clinics without success, he heard of an American man that used Baclofen for muscle spasms and found that it helped ease his addiction for cocaine. Baclofen is a powerful muscle relaxant. On further researching Baclofen, Dr Ameisen discovered this medicine had cut addiction to alcohol or cocaine in rats.

The curious Dr Ameisen began treating himself with daily doses of five milligrams of Baclofen and he found that "the first effects were a magical muscular relaxation and baby-like sleep". Almost immediately he also detected a lessening in his desire for drink. He increased his daily dosage gradually to a maximum of 270mg of Baclofen, and found that he was "cured". He continued to take 30 to 50mg a day. Dr Ameisen died in 2013 aged sixty.

A hypnotherapists Opinion

As a Clinical Hypnotherapist I haven’t studied medicine and I’m not giving any medical advice here. But I have made some observations as a hypnotherapist and here’s my opinion: Baclofen is not a cure for alcoholism, Dr Ameisen was not cured from alcoholism and it’s doubtful that any medicine can cure alcoholism. Let me explain:

Baclofen is not a cure for Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a form of self-medication. Alcoholics are just people that use alcohol to relax themselves. Swopping alcohol for Baclofen as such is not a cure; it’s just employing a different muscle relaxant. At best it’s a treatment for alcoholism and comes with side effects.

Dr Ameisen was not cured from Alcoholism
While I am pleased that Dr Ameisen found some relief from alcohol, he was still not free from it. Instead of being dependant on alcohol, Dr Ameisen became dependent on Baclofen as he continued to take 30 to 50mg a day. If he stopped taking Baclofen would he not still need alcohol? Would he have reverted back to alcohol or would he have found another substance in its place?

It’s doubtful that any medicine can cure Alcoholism
Dr Ameisen was treating the symptoms of alcoholism and not the cause of alcoholism. It’s clear that in his case at least that the cause was emotional and not physical. He felt inadequate. He felt like an imposter. These feelings caused him distress which in turn made him tense. He used alcohol or Baclofen to suppress the tension in his body. He merely suppressed the symptoms (effects) of the emotions and did not treat the emotional cause.

Dr Ameisen was a physician, and physicians are trained to treat the physical. I am sure that as long as he felt inadequate about himself he would need something to suppress the tension in his body. I don't know of any medicine that can deal with a person’s feelings of inadequacy.

Why is Analytical Hypnotherapy Different?

To outright cure alcoholism I propose two things need to be done. First, the cause of the alcoholism needs to be removed and second the habit of using alcohol has to be removed. Instead of treating the symptoms it would be far better to find the emotional cause and fix it. The emotional cause in this case was a feeling of inadequacy as described by Dr Ameisen himself. As Jung said “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” Emotions are generated in the subconscious mind.

As a hypnotherapist I would have helped Dr Ameisen find the reason for this feeling. I would have helped him to become conscious of whatever made him feel inadequate at an unconscious level. I would then have helped this doctor to change this incorrect opinion of himself permanently. I would help him to feel worthy. This can only be done at a subconscious level and would lead to a more relaxed mind and body. He would have been more at peace with himself.

With his self-confidence restored I would then have spend several sessions with him helping him to remove the habit portion of drinking problem. Habits are subconscious too.

I think this method of treating alcoholism is a more permanent and satisfactory method than using medication.

8 Comments

Karl

21/3/2014 07:27:37 pm

I don't know if your hypnotherapy works or not but you cannot say false things about Baclofen just to promote yourself.
Baclofen works really well and suppress the craving.
There already a lot of Medical Studies that prove it and in France has just receive a temporary approval to treat alcoholism, meaning that is not off-label anymore and that every doctor can prescribe it.
I will not post any link here (probably not allowed) but everybody that read this can make a simple search in google with this keywords: Baclofen + Alcohol or Baclofen + Alcoholism...

Troy Robins link

23/3/2014 07:33:47 pm

Hi Karl,

Thanks for your comment. The purpose of the article was to point out that Baclofen is a “treatment” for alcoholism and not a “cure”. A treatment is ongoing, and a cure is a permanent fix. I make no claims that Baclofen doesn’t work as a treatment.

As you say, in France it’s being used as a “treatment”. A treatment is not a cure. You also say it “suppresses” the cravings as opposed to removing the cravings permanently. If Baclofen was an outright cure there would be no cravings to speak of, let alone suppress.

Alcoholism is very largely an emotional issue in my experience. The doctor that discovered Baclofen helps with alcohol (Dr Ameisen) said he felt like an imposter. He FELT like an imposter. Feelings are subconscious Karl.

If the doctor had been able to tap into his subconscious mind and remove this false information, he would no longer feel like an imposter. He would just feel like a doctor that helps people. Maybe he would have felt humble pride in this fact as I think he should have.

If the doctor no longer felt like an imposter, he would no longer be distressed by this feeling and he would no longer need to drink alcohol to mask this feeling.

It saddens me that the general public does make this connection more readily. I am encouraged that many doctors are starting to make this connection.

I look forward to a time when physicians and hypnotherapists work together to help people as there can be no doubt in this day and age that there is a mind/body connection.

I do not suggest that people forgo medical help or advice from their physicians under any circumstances.

Karl

31/3/2014 04:55:41 am

Hi Troy,
just few important points (just to talk about real/true things):
What's this history about imposter??? Where did you read/listen this totally false, nonsense thing about Dr. Ameisen? "He FELT like an imposter." ??? uhhhh ??? Imposter for what ???
Explain me please and give me some link.

He surely felt like someone trying with all his power to share some really important "discovery" to a medical community that seems to be more interest on the profit that can be made with a patient/client alcoholics than to help it for good!
With his book he share to people the experience of finally being sober after have tried everything else (AA - Psy - other medications - hypnosis).
Thanks to Baclofen he was finally sober.
How can you feel "imposter" when you're trying to help other alcoholics as you with an old/new medicament that simply works really well? You get the point?

You say: "Alcoholism is very largely an emotional issue in my experience" - I think you are totally wrong and while doing this kind of job you HAVE to know really well that ALCOHOLISM IS A DISEASE. Even if you are not a physician.
Alcoholism is a physical disease caused (probably) by a chemical unbalance (gabab) exactly as diabetes is causes by high blood sugar. A disease that can be treated. Baclofen is a tool that works as insulin works for diabetics.
After that we can even talk about the eventual behavioral sides that can even exist in some case (or just in the beginning of the addiction) but absolutely not in every alcoholic.
The symptom/cause that you mention in the text it's an old antique theory that is no more valid. Hopefully!

As i told you i respect your work, who choose AA and all the other holistic methods but it's really important to say that there are medications that works well and others that don't.
After that, when the doctor and the alcoholic patient are well informed about the options available to treat alcoholism, they can simply choose what they prefer...

Troy Robins link

31/3/2014 06:11:52 am

Dear Karl, thanks for your comment.

Karl, I’m just the messenger. The article I quote (link follows) says: Dr Ameisen was associate professor of cardiology at New York's Cornell University, and in 1994 he opened a profitable private practice in Manhattan.

But, stricken by an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy - he says he felt like "an impostor waiting to be unmasked" - he found relief in large quantities of whisky and gin.

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7768141.stm

I’m not giving my opinion based on hearsay. I am a twice qualified clinical hypnotherapist. I have helped thousands of people using hypnosis. I have helped many people that considered themselves to be dependent on alcohol. I don’t diagnose people. I just help people to achieve their goals and I’m speaking from direct personal experience.

I don’t think his discovery has no value. I just think that Baclofen replaced alcohol. I don’t know if Baclofen is less harmful and has less effects than alcohol as I’m not a doctor, but Dr Ameisen died in July last year aged sixty.

Karl, I haven’t branded anyone an imposter. HE said he FELT like an imposter, not me. HE said this FEELING was relieved by drinking whiskey and gin.

A FEELING is an emotion. The medical doctor himself said this was the source of the problem. I don’t think the doctor was an imposter. He qualified successfully and he had a successful practice. HE thought so.

If he was able to correct this thinking he would have FELT differently. If he had FELT differently he would have ACTED differently. If he had FELT like a healer instead of an imposter, I suggest the need to find relief in alcohol would not have existed. Why drink if you don’t need to?

Of course alcoholism is a disease. I don’t dispute this. Based on direct experience, it’s a disease that begins in the mind and not in the body. Even Dr Ameisen alluded to this by declaring: “he felt like “an impostor waiting to be unmasked" - he found relief in large quantities of whisky and gin.” Feelings are generated and housed in the subconscious mind Karl. Even the physicians know this!

I don’t dictate anything to anyone Karl. If hypnotherapy isn’t for you, then it isn’t for you. I’m just here to help. If you think medicine is the route for you, as the good Dr Ameisen did, by all means use medicine.

Karl

31/3/2014 06:13:00 pm

Ok Troy no problem.
Now that you give me that link i can understand better.
I can imagine well the sensation that Dr Ameisen felt. A lot of alcoholics feel this. He was an affirmed Professor and Cardiologist, drinking a lot but mainly home alone, hidden, like u know often happens. More than others he was probably feeling this "double side" of his life. A classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde history.
Affirmed Doctor from one side / Chronic Alcoholic from the other... so the phrase "..waiting to be unmasked". Nothing more than this.
Anyway ok, i think is not so important.

If you know alcoholism and know how our brain works, you should know that control impulses from the limb system is a really hard thing. There is the "go-signal" as Dr. Childress of Penn Univ. describes in the end of 90s, that makes addicted go to have another dose and another dose and so on.
What i mean is that while with depression (limb system too) every Dr is ready to prescribe an anti-depressant (sometimes together with a psychotherapy or other), in alcoholism the common standard practice used by Drs is to send patients/clients to AA or similar holistic treatments.
This is the BIG problem and contradictions. You cannot admit that is a brain disease and then want to cure it with the WILL. An habit can be changed/fix by the will but not a disease.
Another argument is about the safety of this AD... but OK, not now.
When some brain connection/receptor is wrong/broken/disrupted, too much or too less of somthing (dopamine, glutamate, gaba etc) the holistic therapy unfortunately cannot make quite nothing. Maybe in a case of 25 yo person that drinks from 2-3 yrs i would even advice something else then medication but when the "alcohol system" is so well installed into your brain... i'm sorry but i cannot see other solution than "a medication that works well" plus, case by case, even behavioral/social support/therapy. But not without the pill. The relapse is just behind the corner, and you know it well.

Dr Ameisen died for an heart attack and his death is NOT AT ALL RELATED WITH BACLOFEN. Dr Ameisen died probably paying the price for all this years that was drinking 2 bottle of whiskey a day! Or something else, but was not Baclofen.

This medication is prescribed from the 70s!!! to people with multiple sclerosis and is considered a really safe drug, ask your Dr, check on the web. Just a poor information/misinformation about it makes people thinking that is dangerous.
BACLOFEN IS NOT AT ALL A DANGEROUS DRUG.
Let's say it clearly.
Drs give this drug to kids/infants that had borned prematurely. Does it make sense to call it dangerous?
Please check this GG query:
https://www.google.com/#q=baclofen+premature+birth
and read comments of both Drs and mother...
As you can see the misinformation arrived to you as to many people!

Ok for your final conclusion.
Everybody choose what consider best for himself.
Thanks Troy for this conversation, it helped to share on the web some real and important information about Baclofen.
If you search on Facebook there are few accounts that i'm following to stay updated about this medication...

Troy Robins link

31/3/2014 07:44:46 pm

Hi Karl. Thanks for your comment. Karl, I don’t know why this doctor felt like an imposter as I never worked with him so I’ll give you two hypothetical examples with another hypothetical doctor to consider.
Example One:
This doctor (let’s call him Adam) as a young child has a very grumpy grandfather that he adores and respects. His grandfather is very clever and very well read. His grandfather also has a problem with doctors. He calls them “quacks” and says they are only after money. This grandfather dies when Adam is still young; let’s say nine years of age. He dies of a heart attack and Adam is devastated to lose his grandfather.
At senior school Adam decides to become a cardiologist so he can do something about heart attacks that rob people of their loved ones. He graduates and starts a successful practice but below his awareness, just out of reach of his conscious mind is the fact (in his mind, and only his mind) implanted by his grandfather that doctors are frauds, quacks and money grabbers. He makes a lot of money in his first year of practice and despite his very best efforts, some of his patients die. The voice he can’t hear in his head shouts louder about what a big fraud he is. He turns to alcohol which reduces the tension but makes him feel like a greater fraud so he drinks even more.
Because he has a moral problem with drinking so much (that really stresses the poor man out tremendously and taxes his heart) he listens out for a cure and discovers a wonderful muscle relaxant. He uses it and finds some physical relief but the feeling stays with him and after twenty years of such stress at being a total fraud, quack, imposter and money grabber (in his mind, and only his mind) he dies of a heart attack. Stress killed him in the end, not the alcohol or the medicine. He used alcohol as medicine. He replaced the alcohol with the medicine which, from a moral point in his mind helped him to feel better, but he still felt like a fraud.
Example Two:
This doctor (called Anthony) as a young child has a very grumpy grandfather that he adores and respects. His grandfather is very clever and very well read. His grandfather also has a problem with doctors. He calls them “quacks” and says they are only after money. This grandfather dies when the doctor is still young; let’s say nine years of age. He dies of a heart attack and the youngster is devastated to lose his grandfather.
At senior school the Anthony decides to become a cardiologist so he can do something about heart attacks. He graduates and starts a successful practice but below his consciousness, just out of reach of his conscious mind is the fact (in his mind, and only his mind) implanted by his grandfather that doctors are frauds, quacks and money grabbers. He has consciously forgotten this information, but the subconscious does not forget anything! He makes a lot of money and the voice he can’t hear in his head shouts louder about what a big fraud he is.
He realises that there is a problem and visits a hypnotherapist. The hypnotherapist helps him to remember that a part of him thinks doctors are quacks. The hypnotherapist points out in hypnosis that is obviously very bad advice and untrue. Doctors save lives {as I write this Karl, I am certain that my life has been saved several times by medical doctors. This is a fact. Just look at modern life spans.} and he helps the doctor to change his mind at a subconscious level. The young doctor now KNOWS that doctors are NOT quacks, and that he MOST CERTAINLY is not a quack. He has dedicated his life to helping people with heart problems. He is the opposite of a quack.
The young cardiologist goes back to work and feels good about helping people. He uses his considerable wealth to open more clinics to help more people. He feels good about contributing to society. He celebrates the fact that he is so blessed to be able to make a difference on a daily basis with the occasional glass of champagne but he never acquire a taste for it. It never becomes a problem. He’s too busy enjoying being a force for good.
He dies in bed at a ripe old age, thankful for the time he spent on this planet.
---
Karl, I am not medically trained and I can’t comment on the safety of Baclofen or on its many side effects.
I do however know that STRESS is a killer and I’m qualified to comment on this. Any medical doctor will tell you the same. Stress is not safe. Stress occurs first in the MIND and then spills into the body.
People will poison their bodies with alcohol rather than suffer the effects of stress. This is so unnecessary in many, many cases. I believe that doctors can and do a lot for people suffering with the effects of stress.
I worked with a doctor in the past that sent her best friend to me for help with alcohol. This doctor had run out of options considered acceptable to her best friend. Her best friend wanted to be free from alcohol and

Troy Robins link

31/3/2014 07:46:49 pm

Her best friend wanted to be free from alcohol and just didn’t know how to do it. Today, her best friend is free from alcohol and is no longer haunted by the feelings that drove this person to alcohol. I look forward to the day when this is an everyday occurrence as it will no doubt be. Evolution will always pick the most effective, most efficient method in the end.

Karl

31/3/2014 06:25:20 pm

PS: i do beleive that hypnosis can be a good instrument for a lot of things. Never tried but i saw videos and read articles about small operations made without anesthesia! Really cool! Why is not so commonly used? We arrive to the same problem the Baclofen has... Anesthetics are surely more "dangerous" than hypnosis and why the medical community don't eliminate them? (for small operations for example). NOW, i mean, not tomorrow. Obviously the economical interest is the answer and unfortunately if something will not change really soon we risk to have (we already have) a modern advanced society when people continue to die for stupid diseases caused by bad medications (full of them!) or untreated disease that is possible to treat. Now. Today.
7000 people a day die of alcohol related problems!
It's time to make something. NOW.
Spread the voice ;-)